Friday, February 24, 2006

"The American objective in Iraq has failed"

A.) John MurthaB.) Al FrankenC.) Cindy SheehanD.) William F. BuckleyE.) All of the above

As someone who saw some merit in the Iraq invasion, I'm beginning to think I was a victim of political naievete. That's excusable when you're a blogger, not so when you're the president of the U.S.

While I think it's still too early to reach a final verdict on Iraq, Buckley is anything but uncertain:Our mission has failed because Iraqi animosities have proved uncontainable by an invading army of 130,000 Americans. The great human reserves that call for civil life haven't proved strong enough. No doubt they are latently there, but they have not been able to contend against the ice men who move about in the shadows with bombs and grenades and pistols.

...

Mr. Bush has a very difficult internal problem here because to make the kind of concession that is strategically appropriate requires a mitigation of policies he has several times affirmed in high-flown pronouncements. His challenge is to persuade himself that he can submit to a historical reality without forswearing basic commitments in foreign policy.

He will certainly face the current development as military leaders are expected to do: They are called upon to acknowledge a tactical setback, but to insist on the survival of strategic policies.

Yes, but within their own counsels, different plans have to be made. And the kernel here is the acknowledgment of defeat.

Accepting reality has not been a hallmark of the Bush administration. Unfortunately, our fortunes in the Middle East will depend on it.